Joseph b



(No Model.) I

' J. B. 'LAUGHTON.

- BATH RUBBER. No. 351,927. I Patented Nov. 2, 1 886.

W-ITNESSES; INVENTOR. fq ifi xfw'we N, PETERS. Phowlilhn u hun Washington D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. LAUGHION, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BATH-RUBBER.

SPECIPICATIONformi ng part of Letters Patent No. 35l,92'7,dated November 2. 1886- Application filed February 3, 1886. Serial No. 190,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OsEPH B. LAUGHTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Iniprovements iii Bath-Rubbers, of which the following is a specification.

My ifivention consists of an improved rubbing-pad for bathing and for dry-rubbing the flesh',made of thick felted wool of suitable cons'istency or density for the required flexibility ofa rubber for the body, but sufficiently thick and rigid to substantially retain the plain fiat condition of its natural form when wet, and to be used without a rigid back or handle by holding it by the edges, but provided, also, with a loop or strap handle to connect it with the hand when desired, said strap being reversible from side to side of the rubber, to enable either side of the rubber to be used at will, as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a plan view of my improved rubber. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

I take firmly-felted wool of half an inch or thereabout thick and rather coarse fiber, preferring such wool as is of a rather stiff hairy nature, and cut it into square or rectangular or approximately rectangular shapes of about the size of the hand of a person, and thus provide rubbers a for the flesh, either wet or dry, and being sufliciently flexible to bend or yield to the curves of the body more or less, but at the same time to resume and retain its shape substantially, and also to be sufliciently rigid to be held'in the hand by the edges when'desired to so hold it for use.

The rubbers thus made are sufficiently spongy to take up the water in ample measure for bathing purposes, and have a sharp edge, so to speak, much superior to the soft "sponge or. cloth rubbers of common use for friction of the skin, and theydry out after .use equally as well. Another advantage consists of a quality which materially lessens the chill of cold water as compared with the sponge or wet cloth, and the felt may be incorporated with soap-powder or medicating substances in the manufacture of the fabric, if desired.

Besides the spongy nature receptive of water and detergent substances, the felt is adapted for the formation of 'cells for more capacous receptivity by perforations b, or equivalent punctures, which I make in it for the purpose, and besides being adapted for holding by the edges, as above described, I also provide a edges and then sewing through the pad and the strap, in which position the strap is reversible from side to side of the pad by turn ing the strap over the end of the pad and turning the strap inside out.

I am aware that a thin pad of felt has been attached to the surface of a wood block for a I am also aware that compound felting, of'

two Or more layers of. felt, has been made for certain purposes by securing the different layers together; but such composition is unnecessary for my purpose, and would not be useful for it, because the fastenings (whether of cement or sewed) would not be lasting.

Rubbing mittens and gloves have also been made of a compound fabric of acaoutchoue foundation and woven material for the surface; but these lack the spongy nature of my pad, and besides caoutchouc is not possessed of any properties useful as a bath-rubber. It is only used in such case as a retainer for the woven fabric.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The improved bath-rubber consisting of a integral pad of thick felt, having a reversible loop-strap attached to the edges, and also having perforations or cells, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: JOSEPH B. LAUGHTON.

W. J. 1VIORGAN, S. H. MORGAN. 

